What Do I Do If My American Express Gift Card Balance Won't Load?

If you checked the balance of your American Express gift card and found that it wouldn't load, or that it loaded the wrong balance, then several things could be the problem. You may have entered the wrong numbers, your internet connection could be bad, the American Express server could be down, or your card could have been stolen. Each requires a different response.

American Express sells both physical and electronic gift cards and provides customers with an online tool for checking the balance of these cards. If you used this tool and something went wrong, either loading the wrong balance or even not loading anything, then you have a mystery to solve. You should do it before you try using the gift card again. This article will teach you how to figure the problem out.

It's not an Expiration Date Issue

First, the problem isn't the result of your gift card expiring, no matter how long it's been since you got it. American Express gift cards don't expire.

Double-Check the Numbers

The simplest explanation is also most likely the correct one: You may have made a mistake when entering the card number, expiration date or security code. Enter the numbers again, double-checking that they are correct by looking on the card, if it is a physical card. If it's an e-gift card, you can find the numbers in the delivery email.

Check Your Device's Connection

If the gift card balance checker doesn't load anything at all, even an error message, you should check on your device's internet connection. If the connection is down, your device is just stuck waiting for a reply from the American Express server that never comes.

If the connection isn't the problem, the American Express server is likely experiencing technical difficulties. If you wait for a little while, the company's tech people will probably fix them. If that doesn't happen, contact American Express yourself to report the problem.

Check for Signs of Theft

If the balance checker does load a balance and the problem is just that the balance is too low, you should look for signs of theft. After all, a stolen card could easily explain the low balance. If your American Express gift card is physical, see if you can actually find it. If you can't, the theft explanation seems pretty likely.

If your American Express gift card is digital, follow these instructions to look through your gift card's order history:

Go to the American Express gift card website.
Click on the Log In button in the upper right corner of the screen.
Sign into your account.
Select My Account.
Scroll down through the orders placed using your gift card. Look for orders you didn't place yourself.

If you find any such orders, you have your explanation. Someone has your gift card numbers and is spending the balance on your card.

If you believe your gift card was stolen or used without your permission, contact the American Express customer service department and report the problem. A representative will cancel the card and issue you a new one with the remaining balance of the old card. However, there is nothing American Express can do to help you recover the balance that was already used. You can report it to the police department, but it is unlikely to be a high-priority issue, so you probably won't get your money back that way.

Contacting American Express

If you need help resolving your gift card balance issue, contact the American Express customer service department. You can reach a representative by phone or on the company help forum.

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